Walter Camp Football Foundation Hosts High School Breakfast of Champions
On Saturday, Jan. 18, the Walter Camp Foundation hosted its 17th Connecticut High School “Breakfast of Champions,” at the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville.
Thanks to event sponsors Town Fair Tire, Crabtree Lexus of New Haven and NFP Sports.
Members of the 2024 All-Connecticut First and Second Teams were recognized along with the six Connecticut high school 2024 state champions – Greenwich (Class LL), New Canaan (Class L), Masuk (Class MM), St. Joseph (Class M), Killingly (Class SS) and Ansonia (Class S).
New Canaan, which finished as the number-one team in the state’s final polls, was recognized as the Joseph W. Kelly Award winner. The Rams, under the direction of head coach Lou Marinelli, won the Class L state title after defeating FCIAC-rival Darien, 35-21, on December 14 to finish 12-1.
The 2024 Walter Camp “Collegiate” Connecticut Offensive Player of the Year (and a member of the Walter Camp Second Team FBS All-America team) Tyler Booker (Alabama) was recognized. Many thanks for former Connecticut Players of the Year Dan Orlovsky and Niko Koutouvides for attending the event.
Coach of the Year, presented by Stadium System: Rob Fleeting (Windsor)
Player of the Year: Quintez Whittle (Ansonia)
Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by NFP Sports: Paul Pasqualoni – former Syracuse, UConn head coach
Inspiration Award, presented by NFP Sports: Nate Palmer (Rockville)
Click here for an article by Ned Griffen of GameTimeCT.com
2024 Walter Camp All-Connecticut Teams
First Team Offense
QB: Drayvn Roberts (East Hartford) #
RB: Hayden Allard (Killingly), Quintez Whittle (Ansonia)
WR: Andrew Esposito (New Canaan), Shane Walker (Masuk)
TE: Kevin Roche (Darien)
OL: Jameson Barry (Glastonbury), Nathan Kennedy (Brookfield), Michael Paine (Notre Dame-West Haven) #, Jacob Romanowski (Ansonia), Peter Vomvolakis (Greenwich)
First Team Defense
LB: Nick Fox (Masuk), Mason Frey (Fairfield Prep), Cashmire Lewis (Windsor)
DB: Brady Gambee (Watertown), Hashim Jones (Capital Prep), Michael Smith (New Canaan), TJ Wright (St. Joseph)
DL: Kadear Dembele (West Haven), Nick Pavia (Newtown), Derek Schoenberg (Danbury), Simon Tchakarov (New Canaan)
First Team Special Teams
P: Alex Kvaratskhelia (Greenwich)
K: Tucker Stevens (New Canaan)*
KR: Jermel Bynum (Brien McMahon)
Second Team Offense
QB: Nick Conlan (West Haven)
RB: John Manning (Windsor), Michael Walters (Brookfield)
WR: Jesus Martell (Maloney) #, Joseph Mugovero (Manchester)
TE: Tyler Rodriguez (Trumbull)
OL: Michael Allen (Killingly), Malachi Fowler (Windham), Richie McMurray (Greenwich), Tim O’Malley (Daniel Hand), Edward van der Merwe (Staples)
Second Team Defense
LB: Conor Casagrande (Daniel Hand), Davis Crandall (Staples), Anthony Oates (Killingly)
DB: Hunter Allard (Killingly), Nathaniel Banton (Bunnell), Josiah Carter (Notre Dame-West Haven), Luke Shannon (Glastonbury)
DL: Thad Balzi (Brookfield), Rickie Miller (Bunnell), David Rivera, Jr. (Waterbury Career Academy), AJ Tatro (Sheehan)
Second Team Special Teams
P: Josh Marcus (Staples)
K: Ben Conelius (Fairfield Prep)
KR: Joey Montalvo (East Catholic)
* – 2023 Walter Camp First Team All-Connecticut honoree
# – 2023 Walter Camp Second Team All-Connecticut honoree
@ – 2022 (Second Team) and 2023 (First Team) Walter Camp All-Connecticut honoree
Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.